1 :

Hint : 🧩 Autism commonly affects language and social communication

Correct Answers:

  • The client demonstrates delayed receptive language skills despite intact hearing and typical motor development.


Rationale :

💙 Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) commonly demonstrate difficulties with social communication and language development.

💙 Receptive language refers to the ability to understand spoken words, directions, and communication from others.

💙 A child with ASD may have delayed understanding of language even when hearing is intact.

💙 Motor development can be relatively typical, while communication and social interaction remain significantly affected.

💙 Children with ASD may also have difficulty interpreting social cues, gestures, facial expressions, and conversational meaning.

💙 Language delays can vary widely, but impaired communication is one of the core diagnostic features of autism spectrum disorder.

💙 The nurse should assess both receptive and expressive language, along with social interaction and repetitive behavior patterns.

💙 Delayed receptive language with otherwise intact hearing and motor development is therefore consistent with autism spectrum disorder.


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2 :

Major depressive disorder X 20 years Anxiety disorder A Suicide ideation during teenage years Psychotherapy for past 10 years with therapist Mother committed suicide when client was 25 years of age; father died of heart disease 10 years ago. History of alcohol misuse, attended in-patient rehabilitation 4 years ago, no alcohol use since that time Good physical health with no reported morbidities 

Escitalopram 20 mg PO daily 

Bupropion 300 mg PO daily 

Alprazolam 0.5mg PO daily PRN anxiety 

Day 1 admission

Client reports to facility on advice from therapist to self-admit due to increased feelings of depression and thoughts of committing self-harm. Reports having large supply of alprazolam, has thought of "taking all of them." 

Day 2

Client reports that they have increased feelings of loneliness, hopelessness. and sadness following recent separation from partner of 25 years. States they have been compliant with antidepressant therapy, "But the meds don't seem to be working anymore." No immediate family in vicinity, estranged from siblings, "They got over me a long time ago." Client acknowledges having a few friends, but "I don't want to burden them with my stuff, I'm not worth that." 


For each client assessment finding, click to specify if the finding is a potential risk for suicide or a protective factor against suicide.


Assessment Findings Risk Factor Protective Factor
Support systems
Physical health
Access to lethal means
Family history
Mental health support
Feelings of self-worth
Alcohol consumption

Hint : 🧠 Identify risks versus existing protections

Correct Answers

  • Support systems [ Risk Factor ]
  • Physical health [ Protective Factor ]
  • Access to lethal means [ Risk Factor ]
  • Family history [ Risk Factor ]
  • Mental health support [ Protective Factor ]
  • Feelings of self-worth [ Risk Factor ]
  • Alcohol consumption [ Protective Factor ]

Rationale :

Support systems — Risk Factor

❣️ The client has a limited and weakened support system, which increases suicide risk.

❣️ The client recently separated from a partner of 25 years, eliminating an important source of emotional support.

❣️ The client has no immediate family nearby and is estranged from siblings.

❣️ Although the client reports having a few friends, they are reluctant to seek their assistance because they do not want to “burden” them.

❣️ Social isolation can intensify feelings of loneliness and hopelessness during a depressive episode.

❣️ The recent loss of a long-term relationship further increases emotional vulnerability.

❣️ A strong, accessible support network can help a suicidal client obtain assistance during periods of crisis.

❣️ The client's limited perceived social support therefore represents a suicide risk factor.

Physical health — Protective Factor

❣️ The client reports good physical health with no reported morbidities.

❣️ Good physical health reduces the additional psychological burden associated with serious chronic or disabling illness.

❣️ Severe physical illness, chronic pain, and functional impairment can contribute to hopelessness and suicide risk.

❣️ Those additional health-related stressors are not present in this client's history.

❣️ Physical wellness may also support the client's ability to participate actively in mental health treatment.

❣️ The client can potentially engage in therapeutic activities and other healthy coping strategies without major physical limitations.

❣️ This finding does not eliminate the client's substantial psychiatric suicide risk.

❣️ Within the findings provided, good physical health functions as a protective factor.

Access to lethal means — Risk Factor

❣️ The client reports having a large supply of alprazolam, providing access to a potentially harmful means of self-injury.

❣️ The client has specifically considered “taking all of them,” demonstrating a connection between suicidal thoughts and an available method.

❣️ Access to a contemplated method substantially increases concern when assessing suicide risk.

❣️ The client's thoughts have progressed beyond nonspecific distress to consideration of a specific means.

❣️ Immediate safety measures should therefore restrict access to medications or other potential methods of self-harm.

❣️ Medication availability is particularly concerning in the setting of worsening depression and hopelessness.

❣️ Suicide precautions and ongoing assessment are necessary because the client has expressed active self-harm thoughts.

❣️ Access to lethal means is therefore a major suicide risk factor.

Family history — Risk Factor

❣️ The client's mother died by suicide, which represents an important suicide risk factor.

❣️ A family history of suicide is associated with an increased likelihood of suicidal behavior.

❣️ The client also experienced the significant emotional trauma of losing a parent to suicide.

❣️ This history occurs alongside the client's longstanding major depressive disorder and previous suicidal ideation.

❣️ Multiple risk factors can combine to increase overall vulnerability.

❣️ The mother's suicide should therefore be included in a comprehensive suicide risk assessment.

❣️ The nurse should also explore how the client's mother's death has affected the client's coping and perceptions of suicide.

❣️ Family history of suicide is clearly a risk factor in this case.

Mental health support — Protective Factor

❣️ The client has participated in psychotherapy for the past 10 years, demonstrating an established connection with mental health care.

❣️ The therapist recognized the client's deterioration and advised self-admission to the mental health facility.

❣️ The client followed that recommendation, demonstrating willingness to access professional assistance during a crisis.

❣️ Established therapeutic relationships provide opportunities for ongoing assessment, counseling, and crisis intervention.

❣️ The client has also remained compliant with prescribed antidepressant therapy despite reporting reduced effectiveness.

❣️ Continued engagement with treatment can facilitate medication reassessment and development of additional coping strategies.

❣️ Professional mental health support does not remove the client's current suicide risk but provides an important resource for intervention.

❣️ Existing mental health support therefore represents a protective factor.

Feelings of self-worth — Risk Factor

❣️ The statement “I'm not worth that” demonstrates markedly diminished self-worth.

❣️ Negative self-perception is consistent with the client's worsening major depressive disorder.

❣️ Feelings of worthlessness can contribute to the belief that others would be better off without the individual.

❣️ The client also describes hopelessness, loneliness, and sadness, strengthening concern about suicide risk.

❣️ The belief that seeking support would burden friends may further discourage the client from requesting help during a crisis.

❣️ Persistent hopelessness and worthlessness are particularly concerning when accompanied by active thoughts of self-harm.

❣️ These thoughts require continued assessment and therapeutic intervention.

❣️ The client's low feelings of self-worth therefore represent a significant risk factor.

Alcohol consumption — Protective Factor

❣️ The client has a history of alcohol misuse, but reports no alcohol consumption since inpatient rehabilitation 4 years ago.

❣️ Current alcohol misuse could increase suicide risk by reducing inhibition and impairing judgment.

❣️ Continued abstinence removes an important substance-related contributor to impulsive suicidal behavior.

❣️ The client's successful completion of rehabilitation also demonstrates the ability to engage with treatment.

❣️ Four years without alcohol suggests sustained use of healthier approaches to managing the previous substance-use problem.

❣️ Maintaining sobriety is especially important during periods of severe depression and emotional stress.

❣️ The history of alcohol misuse remains clinically relevant and should continue to be assessed.

❣️ Based on the client's current abstinence, alcohol consumption is classified as a protective factor in this scenario.


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3 :

Hint : 💊 Calculate total daily dose first

Correct Answers:

  • 1.5


Rationale :

✍️ Prescribed dose: 0.75 mg PO twice daily

✍️ Available concentration: 1 mg/mL

✍️ Formula:

Volume = Desired dose ÷ Dose on hand × Quantity

✍️ Volume per dose:

0.75 mg ÷ 1 mg × 1 mL = 0.75 mL

✍️ Total daily volume:

0.75 mL × 2 doses

= 1.5 mL/day


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4 :

Hint : 🧠 OCD treatment reduces rituals gradually

Correct Answers:

  • The client will gradually learn to reduce the number of times that they check their locks.


Rationale :

✏️ A realistic long-term goal for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is to gradually decrease the frequency of compulsive behaviors.

✏️ Repeatedly checking locks is a compulsion performed to temporarily relieve anxiety associated with obsessive thoughts or doubt.

✏️ Abruptly preventing the ritual can produce significant anxiety and distress, particularly early in treatment.

✏️ Treatment focuses on helping the client progressively tolerate anxiety without relying on the compulsive behavior.

✏️ Exposure and response prevention (ERP) is an effective behavioral approach in which the client encounters anxiety-provoking situations while resisting the usual ritual.

✏️ Gradually reducing checking behavior provides a realistic, measurable, and achievable treatment goal.

✏️ Successful treatment allows the client to develop healthier coping strategies while gaining greater control over compulsions.

✏️ Progressive reduction of repeated lock checking therefore reflects appropriate long-term management of OCD.


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5 :

Hint : 🧠 Conduct disorder requires firm consistency

Correct Answers:

  • Consistent limit setting


Rationale :

🖊️ Consistent limit setting is an effective intervention for managing the impulsive and aggressive behaviors associated with conduct disorder.

🖊️ Children with conduct disorder may violate rules, disregard the rights of others, and demonstrate aggression or destructive behavior.

🖊️ Clear limits establish specific expectations regarding which behaviors are acceptable and unacceptable.

🖊️ Rules should be simple, realistic, and consistently enforced by all staff members and caregivers.

🖊️ Consequences for inappropriate behavior should be established in advance and applied immediately and predictably.

🖊️ Consistency prevents the child from manipulating differences between caregivers or testing whether established boundaries will change.

🖊️ Positive and appropriate behaviors should also receive praise and reinforcement to encourage healthier behavioral patterns.

🖊️ A structured environment with predictable limits promotes self-control, accountability, and safer interactions with others.


Distractor Analysis :

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6 :

Hint : 🧠 Explore feelings without judgment

Correct Answers:

  • "It sounds like purging helps you manage difficult emotions. Tell me more about that."


Rationale :

🖍️ This response demonstrates therapeutic communication by acknowledging the client’s experience without approving of the harmful behavior.

🖍️ The phrase “Tell me more about that” is open-ended and encourages the client to explore the emotions associated with bingeing and purging.

🖍️ Clients with bulimia nervosa may use binge-purge behaviors as maladaptive strategies for managing distress, anxiety, or feelings of loss of control.

🖍️ Exploring the emotional function of the behavior helps the nurse understand the client’s triggers and coping patterns.

🖍️ The response avoids criticism, confrontation, and judgment, which could increase shame and interfere with communication.

🖍️ Establishing a nonjudgmental therapeutic relationship can help the client discuss behaviors that may otherwise be hidden.

🖍️ Greater awareness of emotional triggers creates opportunities to develop healthier coping strategies for managing distress.

🖍️ Encouraging reflection rather than arguing with the client supports insight and promotes progress toward recovery.


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7 :

Hint : 💊 Lip smacking suggests tardive dyskinesia

Correct Answers:

  • Document the findings and contact the healthcare provider to evaluate the need for medication adjustment.


Rationale :

📗 Frequent lip smacking and involuntary chewing movements after long-term haloperidol therapy are characteristic of tardive dyskinesia (TD).

📗 Tardive dyskinesia is a potentially persistent extrapyramidal movement disorder associated with prolonged exposure to dopamine-blocking antipsychotics.

📗 Typical manifestations include lip smacking, chewing motions, tongue protrusion, facial grimacing, and involuntary movements of the extremities or trunk.

📗 The nurse should carefully document the abnormal movements and promptly notify the healthcare provider for further evaluation.

📗 An assessment tool such as the Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (AIMS) may be used to evaluate the presence and severity of abnormal movements.

📗 The healthcare provider may consider reducing the medication dosage, changing the antipsychotic regimen, or initiating specific treatment for TD.

📗 The nurse should not independently discontinue haloperidol, because abrupt medication changes can contribute to psychiatric destabilization and require provider-directed management.

📗 Early recognition and intervention are important because tardive dyskinesia may become persistent or irreversible, particularly when symptoms progress.


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8 :

Hint : 🧠 Tics are involuntary, not misbehavior

Correct Answers:

  • Promote involvement in support groups for children and families with tic disorders.


Rationale :

⚽ Support groups can provide children and families with education, reassurance, and practical strategies for living with a tic disorder.

⚽ Motor and vocal tics are involuntary or only temporarily suppressible behaviors, rather than intentional actions performed by the child.

⚽ Parents may experience frustration, embarrassment, or anxiety when they do not fully understand the nature of the disorder.

⚽ Connecting families with others who have similar experiences can decrease isolation and stigma.

⚽ Support groups can also help parents learn constructive ways to respond to tics without criticizing or punishing the child.

⚽ The nurse should encourage a supportive environment that promotes the child's self-esteem and social functioning.

⚽ Families can also learn about treatment options, school accommodations, and strategies for managing situations in which tics become more noticeable.

⚽ Providing appropriate family education and psychosocial support helps the child cope with the disorder while reducing family distress.


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9 :

Hint : 🧠 Intellectual disability includes low IQ and adaptive deficits

Correct Answers:

  • An intelligence quotient (IQ) of below 70


Rationale :

🌹 An IQ below approximately 70 is strongly associated with significantly impaired intellectual functioning and supports a diagnosis of intellectual disability.

🌹 Diagnosis also requires deficits in adaptive functioning, which affect the individual's ability to meet developmental and sociocultural standards for independence.

🌹 The child's difficulty with communication and activities of daily living already indicates impairment in adaptive functioning.

🌹 Intellectual functioning includes abilities such as reasoning, problem-solving, learning, planning, and judgment.

🌹 Standardized intelligence testing is used as part of the comprehensive assessment of these cognitive abilities.

🌹 Intellectual disability begins during the developmental period, which distinguishes it from cognitive decline acquired later in life.

🌹 Current diagnostic approaches emphasize adaptive functioning, rather than relying on an IQ score alone, when determining severity and support needs.

🌹 In this child, an IQ below 70 combined with significant communication and daily-living deficits provides the strongest evidence supporting intellectual disability.


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10 :

Hint : 🧠 Mania can cause disorganized communication

Correct Answers:

  • The client responds to questions with disorganized speech.


Rationale :

🌸 Disorganized speech can occur during an episode of acute mania because thoughts may become rapid, poorly organized, and difficult to follow.

🌸 Clients experiencing mania commonly demonstrate racing thoughts, flight of ideas, pressured speech, and distractibility.

🌸 Rapid changes in thought processes can cause the client's responses to move quickly between loosely connected topics.

🌸 Speech may become excessive, loud, rapid, and difficult for others to interrupt or understand.

🌸 Acute mania is also commonly associated with elevated or irritable mood, increased energy, decreased need for sleep, and increased goal-directed activity.

🌸 Severe manic episodes can cause substantial impairment in judgment, communication, and social functioning.

🌸 The nurse should assess the client's thought processes, speech patterns, behavior, sleep, and potential for unsafe impulsive actions.

🌸 Disorganized speech is therefore the finding that most strongly supports the admitting diagnosis of acute mania from the choices provided.


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Total Questions: 10

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